Cannula Inserting System

Abstract

The present application relates to a puncture system for inserting a cannula or a needle into a blood vessel of a person or an animal. The puncture system ( 100 ) has location determination means ( 108 ) for determining at least one location of the blood vessel. The location determination means are mechanically flexible such that their shape is adaptable to the shape of a body part of the person or animal. Furthermore, the system comprises processing means ( 112 ) for determining a puncture location ( 124 ) of the blood vessel depending on the output of the location determination means.

1 . A puncture system ( 100 ) for inserting a cannula ( 117 ) into a blood vessel ( 102 ) of a person or animal comprising:
 a) location determination means for determining at least one location of the blood vessel, the location determination means being mechanically flexible such that its shape is adaptable to the shape of a body part of the person or animal,   b) processing means for determining a puncture location ( 124 ) of the blood vessel depending on the output of the location determination means,   
   
   
       2 . The system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the location determination means has got at least one aperture ( 204 ) for the insertion of a cannula into the body of the patient or animal. 
   
   
       3 . The system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that there is a display on top of the location determination means, the display being adapted to visualize the blood vessel's course within the body of the person or animal. 
   
   
       4 . The system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the location determination means is further adapted to determine the location of the cannula's distal end ( 122 ). 
   
   
       5 . The system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises first fixing means, the first fixing means being associated with the location determination means, the first fixing means securing a fixed position of the location determination means with respect to the body of the patient or animal. 
   
   
       6 . The system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it further comprises fastening means ( 116 ) for fixing the cannula, said fastening means being moveable along an inserting direction ( 120 ) and at least a second direction ( 118 ) being substantially non-parallel to the inserting direction, for insertion of the distal end ( 122 ) of the cannula into the blood vessel at the puncture location. 
   
   
       7 . The system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the location determination means is further adapted to track the location of the cannula's distal end ( 122 ) during insertion of the cannula ( 117 ) and that the system further comprises control means for controlling the movement of the cannula in response to the tracking of the cannula's distal end. 
   
   
       8 . The system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the location determination means is further adapted to track the at least one blood vessel parameter during insertion of the cannula ( 117 ) and that the system further comprises control means for controlling the movement of the cannula in response to the tracking of the blood vessel parameter. 
   
   
       9 . The system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises actuation means being adapted to autonomously move the fastening means into an inserting position ( 126 ) and to insert the distal end ( 122 ) of the cannula into the blood vessel at the puncture location. 
   
   
       10 . The system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the location determination means comprise optic and/or acoustic or opto-acoustic detection and signal acquisition means ( 108 ,  110 ) and wherein the processing means ( 110 ,  112 ) is adapted to perform signal processing. 
   
   
       11 . The system according to  claim 10 , characterized in that the detection and signal acquisition means ( 108 ,  110 ) are implemented by making use of image acquisition and image processing techniques and/or by making use of Doppler implemented location determination techniques. 
   
   
       12 . The system according to  claim 10 , characterized in that the processing means is further adapted to determine the inserting position ( 126 ) in response to the puncture position ( 124 ) being obtained by means of an optimization procedure accounting for at least one blood vessel parameter being derived from the output of the location determination means. 
   
   
       13 . The system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the orientation of the cannula ( 117 ) and the inserting direction ( 120 ) are modifiable and that the actuation means are adapted to translate and align the fastening means in three spatial directions. 
   
   
       14 . The system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the insertion of the cannula's distal end ( 122 ) into the blood vessel ( 102 ) is autonomously performed in response of detecting that the cannula ( 117 ) is at the insertion position ( 126 ).